Stocking Stuffer Ideas for LDS Babies and Toddlers

Are you LDS and looking for things to fill a young child's stocking? Here are lots of Mormon-themed ideas, centered around the 3 hours a week your baby or toddler spends dressed up and being kept quiet.

Neck tie onesie. If you have a sewing machine and a bit of time you can easily appliqué a stylish onesie for the baby boy on your gift list to wear to church. Just take a white onesie and a tie-shaped piece of fabric, and sew the fabric on using a tight zigzag stitch around the edge. Not that crafty? Check out Etsy for plenty of necktie onesies for sale.

Mary Jane Socks. If the baby on your list is a girl, then she needs some Mary Jane socks to wear to church with her darling dresses. These hot socks by Trumpette come in pastel and bright sets to coordinate with every outfit and are the perfect thing to keep a baby girls toes warm in a cold church building. Trumpette also makes socks in ballerina, cowboy, sneaker, golf shoe style and more.

Tights. If Mary Jane socks are not your thing, then be sure to put a pair of lace ruffle-bottom tights in your little girls' stocking. Or maybe tights in a camo print or something else different and fun.

Flannel boards. Not only are they a great learning tool, flannel boards are fun for toddlers and are a terrific quiet toy for your child to play with during church. You can make your own set by stapling a felt background around a piece of heavy cardboard and cutting shapes out of felt. A flannel board itself won't fit in a stocking, but you can put the cut out figures in a plastic or felt bag and wrap the flannel board separately. An awesome online resource for flannel board sets of all types, including Bible stories is The Felt Source.

Book of Mormon. At a year old, a child is beginning to show interest in books as more than something to teeth on. A $2 copy of the Book of Mormon makes a great stocking stuffer and gives your child something appropriate to look at during church. Your child will feel just like you. Besides, having his own scriptures might just keep your toddler from ruining yours.

Board Books. Just the right size for keeping a toddler busy during church, a board book makes a great stocking stuffer. Many board books depict Bible stories such as Noah and the Ark or Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors. There are also tons of Mormon board books available. Val Chadwick Bagley has authored many with themes ranging from "I am a Child of God" to Mormon-themed ABC books. You can even find beautiful board books with reproduced art by Greg Olsen. Look for church or Bible themed-board books at your nearest Desert Book or Seagull bookstore, a local Christian Bible and gift store, or online at desertbook.com.

Picture Book. If you don't find a small book you like for your child's stocking, just make your own. Make a picture book with pictures of family members, the child's Primary teachers or nursery leaders, Jesus, the prophet, and the temple. You can get cards with a picture of the First Presidency or your favorite temple, use a pass along card with a picture of the temple on it, or cut pictures out of the Ensign or Friend. Just insert the pictures into a photo flip book from the dollar store.